The following principles, standards and requirements will be
applied by City Council and the Planning Commission in their review
and evaluation of all subdivision and land development plan applications:

Where literal compliance with the standards and requirements contained herein is clearly impractical, City Council may modify or waive such standards through the waiver process set forth in § 7-503.6 of this code.

Land subject to hazards to life, health or property, such as may
arise from fire, floods, disease or other causes, shall not be subdivided
or developed unless such hazards have been eliminated or unless the
plan shall show adequate safeguards against them, which shall be approved
by the appropriate regulatory agencies.

Proposed streets shall be properly related to such street plans
or parts thereof as have been officially adopted by the City and shall
be coordinated with existing or proposed streets in adjoining subdivisions
or land developments. Proposed streets shall be properly related to
county, regional or state transportation plans as have been prepared
and adopted as prescribed by law.

Streets shall be laid out to preserve the integrity of their
design. Local access streets shall be laid out to discourage their
use by through traffic, and, where possible, collector and arterial
streets shall be designed for use by through traffic.

Proposed street arrangements shall make provisions for the continuation
of existing streets in adjoining areas, the proper projection of streets
into adjoining undeveloped or unplatted areas, and the continuation
of proposed streets to the boundaries of the tract being subdivided.

Alleys shall be discouraged in residential districts, unless
site design calls for rear access parking, which is encouraged. In
commercial or industrial areas, adequate alleys or off-street loading
and unloading space is required where needed for loading and unloading
or access purposes.

Arterial. This classification includes streets which provide
intra-county or inter-municipal traffic of substantial volume. Generally,
these streets should accommodate operating speeds of 35 miles per
hour.

Collector. This classification is intended to include those
streets which connect minor streets to arterial streets. They may
serve intra-county and intra-municipal traffic. They may serve as
traffic corridors connecting residential areas with industrial, shopping
and other services. They may penetrate residential areas. Generally,
these highways will accommodate operating speeds of 25 to 35 miles
per hour.

Minor. This classification is intended to include streets and
roads that provide direct access to abutting land and connections
to higher classes of roadways. Traffic volumes will be low and travel
distances generally short. These streets and roads should be designed
for operating speeds of 25 miles per hour or under.

Short extension of existing streets with lesser right-of-way
and/or cartway widths than prescribed in this section may be permitted;
provided, however, that no section or new right-of-way less than 30
feet in width shall be permitted.

Any dead-end street, for access to an adjoining property or
because of authorized phased development, shall be provided with a
temporary cul-de-sac within the subdivision, and the use of such turnaround
shall be guaranteed to the public until such time as the street is
extended.

Unless future extension is clearly impractical or undesirable,
the turnaround right-of-way shall be placed adjacent to the tract
boundary with sufficient additional width provided along the boundary
line to permit extension of the street at full width.

All cul-de-sac streets, whether permanently or temporarily designed
as such, shall be provided at the closed end with a fully paved turnaround.
The minimum diameter to the pavement edge or curbline shall be 80
feet, and the minimum diameter of the right-of-way line shall be 100
feet.

Streets intersecting another street shall either intersect directly
opposite to each other or shall be separated by at least 125 feet
between center lines, measured along the center line of the street
being intersected.

Corner sight distance refers to the maximum length of highway
along which a driver stopped at an intersection or driveway can continuously
see another vehicle approaching on another roadway or driveway. For
the purpose of measuring the available corner sight distance, the
height of both the driver's eyes and the approaching vehicle
should be assumed to be 3 1/2 feet above the road surface. In
addition, the driver's eyes should be assumed to be 10 feet from
the near edge of the intersecting roadway or driveway or the near
edge of the closest travel lane in the event there is parking permitted
on the intersecting roadway or driveway.

For multifamily residential, mobile home parks and all nonresidential
development or subdivisions, access roads shall be no less than 24
feet in width at the street line and shall clearly be defined by the
use of curbing.

Easements shall be provided for drainage facilities and overhead
or underground public utility facilities in consultation with the
City Engineer, electrical utility companies, the Pennsylvania Department
of Transportation, and telephone utility companies, as follows:

The minimum width of such easements shall be 20 feet, 10 feet
on each side of the line. In the case of a double line (both sewer
and water for example), since each line must be 10 feet apart with
10 feet on each side of the lines, the easement would be 30 feet.

Where a subdivision is traversed by a watercourse, drainageway, channel,
or stream, there shall be provided a drainage easement conforming
substantially to the line of such watercourse, drainageway, channel
or stream and of such width as will be adequate to preserve the unimpeded
flow of natural drainage or for the purpose of widening, deepening,
relocating, improving or protecting such drainage facilities, or for
the purpose of installing a stormwater sewer.

The length, width, shape and design of blocks shall be determined
taking into consideration the provision of adequate sites for buildings
of the type proposed, the land use and/or zoning requirements, the
topography of the land being subdivided or developed, and the requirements
for safe and convenient vehicular and pedestrian circulation.

Residential blocks shall generally be of sufficient depth to accommodate
two tiers of lots, except where reverse frontage lots bordering an
arterial or collector street are used or where, due to the contour
of the land or the necessary layout of the subdivision, there is insufficient
depth between intersecting streets for such two-tier design.

Blocks for commercial and industrial areas may vary from the elements
of design contained in this section if the nature of the use requires
other treatment. In such cases, off-street parking for employees and
customers shall be provided along with safe and convenient limited
access to the street system. Space for off-street loading shall also
be provided with limited access to the street system. Extension of
streets, railroad access right-of-way, and utilities shall be provided
as necessary.

Double or reverse frontage lots shall be avoided except where
required to provide separation of residential development from major
streets or to overcome specific disadvantages of topography or orientation.

Lots for other than residential uses. The lot width and area requirements
of properties reserved or laid out for uses other than residential
shall provide adequate space for yards and off-street loading, unloading
and parking facilities. Plans for contemplated construction on subdivided
lots should be provided in sufficient detail to assure that these
requirements are being satisfied.

The design and development of all subdivisions shall preserve,
whenever possible, natural features which will aid in providing open
space for recreation and conditions generally favorable to the health,
safety and welfare of the residents of the City. Some of these natural
features include the natural terrain of the site, woodland areas,
large trees, natural watercourses and bodies of water, wetlands, rock
outcroppings and scenic views.

Trees with a caliper of six inches or more as measured at a
height of 4 1/2 feet above existing grade shall not be removed
unless they are located within the proposed cartway or sidewalk portion
of the street right-of-way or within 15 feet of the foundation area
of a proposed building. In areas where trees are retained, the original
grade level shall be maintained if possible so as not to disturb the
trees.

Where existing trees are removed along the street right-of-way,
supplemental planting, in the form of appropriate street trees, shall
be introduced. Such trees shall be planted at intervals of between
50 and 100 feet and preferably in random patterns.

A landscape plan shall be developed for industrial, residential
and multifamily residential subdivisions and land developments. Such
plan shall indicate the vegetation or plant cover which will exist
when landscaping is completed.

A maintenance easement for the City or its designee, with a
minimum width of 25 feet, shall be provided along all stream and river
banks and lake edges. Such easement, in all cases, shall be of sufficient
width to provide proper maintenance.

In the event that any person shall intend to make changes in the
contour of any land or engage in earthmoving activity, whether for
subdivision, land development or any purpose, such person who is required
to obtain a permit shall obtain such a permit from the Department
of Environmental Protection (DEP) pursuant to the erosion rules and
regulations promulgated under the Clean Streams Law.[1]

Such erosion and sedimentation control plan shall be submitted to
the City's Engineer and County Conservation District for review,
and a copy of the plan and review comments shall be submitted to the
Commission as part of the preliminary and final plan applications.

In the preparation of erosion and sediment control plans, the person
preparing such plans shall consult the County Conservation District
to determine the measures needed to control erosion and sedimentation.
The current Erosion and Sediment Control Handbook, prepared by the
Conservation Districts of Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry Counties,
shall be used in the preparation of such plans. Copies are available
in the Conservation District office in each county.